avonex ms

After being on Avonex for 1 1/2 years I have developed new side effects?? Red eyes with severe pain (in my eyes & behind my eyes) It started several months ago and now happens with each weekly injection. Has anyone here had to discontinue Avonex due to side effects?

If you are diagnosed with MS, you may need to consider using Avonex or some other disease modifying medicine long term. Your doctor should discuss this with you. I wish you the best and hope you'll share more of your story.

I guess I'm not too thrilled at getting started on Avonex, so that is shading the issue for me. You're right, I should get on the Avonex and go from there. Thanks for the thoughts.

What if you are on avonex and you believe you dont have ms, but the dr's do, what are the long term affect of taking avonex?

Sigh, I have a question from a friend. She would like to know if avonex causes calcium deficiency? She is diagnosed with ms. Not like me.

//www.themcfox.com/multiple-sclerosis/ms-drugs/avonex/avonex-blood-counts.htm updated 2004, it might be worth finding out if your having a negative reaction and need to change DMD.

I have relapsing remitting MS and am on Avonex too, for the past 5 years. MS began 14 years ago and I ignored it until a serious episode of optic neuritis made me seek medical help. I absolutely agree that depression is a major side effect of MS and Avonex use. I too am irritable, cannot multi-task well, and have a rather blunted affect. My husband and I have separated.

On a check up last year, the rectal surgeon said that they are seeing an uptick of people with MS developing this problem. Although he did not correlate it with Avonex, I am terrified; he just found another spot. I can find no literature linking the two, but given that it is difficult to pay for the Avonex this year, I am happily taking a vacation.

I have had MS for 10 years and I just stopped my AVONEX so I can try and get pregnant I know it sounds stupid but there is no studies on avonex and pregnancy so I just thought I would ask if any one else has been on some treatment or off to get pregnant? and how long were you off your meds ?

I am an MS patient and I have recently started taking Avonex, (I have had two injections so far) and I have been having problems sleeping.Does anyone know if Avonex causes insomnia, at all? I have read all the possible side effects Avonex may bring, but sleeplessness doesn't seem to be in the list.

I'm not on Avonex, but thought I'd respond so that your post isn't lost. My guess is that it's unrelated to the Avonex and has more to do with your MS. I give myself Copaxone shots, which doesn't go as deep as the Avonex shots. There are weird symptoms I get from time to time that have nothing to do with anything other than MS. For example, occasionally when I breathe deeply my arms and hands tingle.

I've been on Avonex for 2.5 years and it's suited me well but I have just had a 4 week break. I then took my injection on Tuesday night and was strangely fine on Wednesday and Thursday but on Friday, Saturday and today I have lost about 50% of my strength from my left arm and leg. Is this likely to be a side effect from restarting the Avonex (muscle weakness) or a relapse?

s been almost 7 years since there was a post on this particular thread. Any progress with the Avonex or the MS in general?

Hi, I was recently diagnosed with MS and had my first Avonex injection Friday. Friday night was tough (fever, chills, pain and eventually heavy sweating) but I felt pretty good by Saturday morning. Saturday afternoon I started feeling kind of down and by Sunday morning I feel even more so. I can't decide if this is a result of the drug or just the situation as a whole.

I have been on Avonex for 10 years. I am feeling pretty good. Very few ms problems. My gait is somewhat labored, I have intention tremor in my hands and some numbness on my left side. I am considering stopping my Avonex becausse of the cost. Have not seen my neurologist yet but want another persons opinion also.

Yes, depression is a side effect of Avonex. It is also a general symptom of MS, but in your case it is very telling that it has intensified in the last few weeks. Please alert your neurologist and perhaps your PCP (whoever prescribed the antidepressant). Depression is also a side effect of the other interferons, so I'm left curious if you felt that with Rebif and Betaseron.

I've been on it since February of this year. I do get flu-like side effects still. But they do not last as long now. Maybe 48 hours. I did have to go on an anti-depressant for the first time in my life. But I can not say it was Avonex alone that caused the depression. I think the mix of being dx'd with MS, the loss of some of my function, and the medications all mix together caused depression.

Hard to answer your question without more information. Why do you have only those four choices? Avonex (which I’ve used for 11 years) and others are notably absent from your list. Avonex, Rebif, and Betaseron have been around longest and have the strongest safety profiles. If your MS is more aggressive, then you may be more inclined to consider Gilenya, Tecfidera, Aubagio, or Tysabri. All of the DMDs are discussed from a neutral perspective at the link below: http://www.nationalmssociety.

Hi I have a question- I have been on Copaxone for over 10 years and I am suffering with indented sites which can no longer let my shots be injected. My question is which of the ms treatments should I go to next? My MS dr. gave me papers on Avonex but the side effects is what I'm worried about. My Copazone has worked so well I'm afraid to change but just running out of places to give the shot. Thanks for any reply's..

While I understnd the potential benefits of avonex, I am concerned that the side effects from avonex and once again facing everything will set him back again. He tends to get depressed at times so I am specifically concerned about that aspect. In addition, he works in a very high pressure job and I am concerned that this may leave him sidelined from work (in an environment that he does not want to open up to about the situation yet)....

i said no more for that nurologist met and made new appointment new nurologist brought him all my copysof mri and reports he had saw them and told me to imediatly stop shooting avonex cause i dont have ms i haf tia mini strokes took my significant other next day cause i was shocked that i dont have ms and then he said to the both of us it could be lessions of severe migrains but not ms and if it was ms i wouldnt be crippled to im atleast 90 no need for avonex thats clearly a dr defending anot

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